In-situ Disposable Canned Mix Drink Beverage Container Apparatus

ABSTRACT

An in-situ disposable canned mix drink beverage container apparatus is disclosed. A top internal chamber containing powder being mixed with liquid in a second lower chamber after a user pulls a small tab on the top of the can allowing slots in an inner dividing wall to open therein. Once the liquid and powder are mixed, another larger tab on the top can be opened allowing a user to drink the entire mixture. An object of the invention is to provide a large, internal mixing chambers inside a disposable beverage to accommodate a complete, insitu mixing of powdered protein mixes with a liquid in correct proportions.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to disposable beveragecontainers. More specifically, this invention relates to an in-situdisposable canned mix drink apparatus.

BACKGROUND

Powder-based drinks began to emerge in the 1950 as bodybuilders wereexperimenting with protein shakes to increase bulk. Powdered proteindrink mixes were sold in large containers and stored in kitchen pantriesand mixed with water in a glass. The beverage industry realized thepotential for powdered drinks and developed popular mixes such asOvaltine™ and Tang™ in the 1960s and 1970s. Others in the beverageindustry began combining mixes and fluids inside separate chamberswithin disposable bottles that could be mixed when ready. U.S. Pat. Nos.9,637,290B2, 6,372,270B1, and 20130139703A1 granted to Ram, Denny andHogarth respectively, disclosed small internal drink mixing chambersinside disposable bottles. These inventions relied upon screwing actionson caps that pierced internal chambers to combine two drink ingredients.U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,372 and International Patent No.s 1999042377A1 and042377 disclosed by DeLloret, Spring and Hunt respectively, disclosedsmall internal drink mixing chambers inside disposable cans. Theseinventions had small mixing chambers that held minute quantities of asecondary ingredient at the roof of a can and were activated by a singletab. While many of these inventions allow for intermixing of ingredientswithin disposable beverage containers, none were found in the prior artthat held large volumes of mixing ingredients within chambers thatspanned the diameter of a disposable can or had a dedicated wire pulltab mechanism to activate mixing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device herein disclosed and described provides a solution to theshortcomings in the prior art through the disclosure of an in-situdisposable canned mix drink beverage container apparatus. An objectiveof the invention is to provide large, internal mixing chambers inside adisposable beverage can accommodate a complete, insitu mixing ofpowdered protein mixes in correct proportions. Protein shakes require alarger powder-to-water ratio than other recreational drinks such asKoolaid™ and Tang™ and conventional, disposable, in situ mixing chamberspositioned near bottle and can tops are too small. The disclosedinvention provides a powder chamber that is roughly one third of a can'svolume and is separated by a dividing wall that spans a can's diameter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable beverage canhaving a separate pull tab (apart from the main drinking orifice pulltab) that activates the mixing process within the can. This tab isconnected to the internal dividing wall by means of a small wire coiledwithin the upper powder chamber. When the tab is pulled, the divider ispulled away allowing powder to enter into the second liquid chamberbelow. A small gasket on the roof of the can prevents the drink fromexiting out from the wire aperture.

Another object of the aforementioned invention is to provide a separate,main drinking aperture with a separate pull tab allowing the drink to beshaken and then opened once proper mixing has taken place.

It is briefly noted that upon a reading this disclosure, those skilledin the art will recognize various means for carrying out these intendedfeatures of the invention. As such it is to be understood that othermethods, applications and systems adapted to the task may be configuredto carry out these features and are therefore considered to be withinthe scope and intent of the present invention, and are anticipated. Withrespect to the above description, before explaining at least onepreferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and to the arrangement of the components inthe following description or illustrated in the drawings. The inventionherein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practicedand carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilledin the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein are for the purpose of description andshould not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying outthe several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstruction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from thespirit and scope of the present invention. As used in the claims todescribe the various inventive aspects and embodiments, “comprising”means including, but not limited to, whatever follows the word“comprising”. Thus, use of the term “comprising” indicates that thelisted elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements areoptional and may or may not be present. By “consisting of” is meantincluding, and limited to, whatever follows the phrase “consisting of”.Thus, the phrase “consisting of” indicates that the listed elements arerequired or mandatory, and that no other elements may be present. By“consisting essentially of” is meant including any elements listed afterthe phrase, and limited to other elements that do not interfere with orcontribute to the activity or action specified in the disclosure for thelisted elements. Thus, the phrase “consisting essentially of” indicatesthat the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that otherelements are optional and may or may not be present depending uponwhether or not they affect the activity or action of the listedelements.

The objects features, and advantages of the present invention, as wellas the advantages thereof over existing prior art, which will becomeapparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by theimprovements described in this specification and hereinafter describedin the following detailed description which fully discloses theinvention, but should not be considered as placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a partof the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive,examples of embodiments and/or features. It is intended that theembodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be consideredillustrative rather than limiting. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side, section view of the invention with mixing chambersclosed.

FIG. 3 is a side, section view of the invention with mixing chambersopen.

FIG. 4 is a top, section view of the invention with three parallel,interconnected break away slots.

FIG. 5 is a top, section view of the invention with a single, C-shapedbreak away slot.

FIG. 6 is a top, section view of the invention with three parallel breakaway slots.

FIG. 7 is a top, section view of the invention with three divergingbreak away slots.

Other aspects of the present invention shall be more readily understoodwhen considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and thefollowing detailed description, neither of which should be consideredlimiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down,downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right andother such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears inthe drawings and are used for convenience only; they are not intended tobe limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned inany particular orientation.

FIG. 1 showing a perspective view of the in-situ disposable canned mixdrink apparatus 1 comprised of a hollow, cylindrical, metal vessel 4(such as aluminum and the like) being closed on one end and having asealed lid on another distal end 3. Said sealed end 3 also being made ofaluminum and having main drinking push tab 2 on a proximal portion ofsaid seal 3 and a mixing pull tab 5 on a distal end. Main tab 2 allowingsaid seal 3 to be broken by means of a user pushing said tab 2 onto araised circular scored area on seal 3 creating a drinking orifice.

FIG. 2 showing a side section view of the invention showing powder mixchamber 14 and liquid mix chamber 15 separated by dividing hatch 7comprised of a thin, membrane made of aluminum and the like. Said hatch7 being operatively attached to circular flange 10 on mixing tab 5 bymeans of line 6 comprised of a chord made of metal wire and the like andcoiled between powder 11 (such as but not limited to: protein, sugarflavoring and the like) therein.

FIG. 3 showing a side section view of the invention showing said mixingpull tab 5 being pulled, subsequently pulling on and opening dividinghatch 7 allowing powder 11 to evacuate chamber 14 and be introduced intolower liquid chamber 15.

FIG. 4 showing a top section view of the invention of an embodimenthaving at least three, conjoined, parallel breakaway slots 7 configuredon said dividing hatch 12 and being connected to said line 6 by means offastener 8. Said slots having a creased outline allowing force on saidmixing tab 5 to pull slots 7 open and creating apertures disposed toreceive powder 11.

FIG. 5 showing a top section view of the invention of an embodimenthaving a crescent-shaped breakaway slot 16 configured on said dividinghatch 12 and being connected to said line 6 by means of fastener 8. Saidslot 16 having a creased outline allowing force on said mixing tab 5 topull slot 16 open and creating aperture disposed to receive powder 11.

FIG. 6 showing a top section view of the invention of an embodimenthaving at least three individual, parallel breakaway slots 17 configuredon said dividing hatch 12 and being connected to said line 6 by means offastener 8. Said slots having a creased outline allowing force on saidmixing tab 5 to pull slots 17 open and creating apertures disposed toreceive powder 11.

FIG. 7 showing a top section view of the invention of an embodimenthaving at least three diverging breakaway slots 18 configured on saiddividing hatch 12 and being connected to said line 6 by means offastener 8. Said slots having a creased outline allowing force on saidmixing tab 5 to pull slots 18 open and creating apertures disposed toreceive powder 11.

It is additionally noted and anticipated that although the device isshown in its most simple form, various components and aspects of thedevice may be differently shaped or slightly modified when forming theinvention herein. As such those skilled in the art will appreciate thedescriptions and depictions set forth in this disclosure or merely meantto portray examples of preferred modes within the overall scope andintent of the invention, and are not to be considered limiting in anymanner. While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of theinvention have been shown and described herein, with reference toparticular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, variouschanges and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure andit will be apparent that in some instances, some features of theinvention may be employed without a corresponding use of other featureswithout departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. Itshould also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, andvariations may be made by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An in-situ disposable canned mix drink beveragecontainer apparatus.
 2. The device of claim one providing large,internal mixing chambers inside a disposable beverage to accommodate acomplete, insitu mixing of powdered protein mixes in correctproportions.
 3. The device of claim one providing a separate pull tab(apart from the main drinking orifice pull tab) that activates themixing process within the can by means of a line attached to removableslots on a dividing member between chambers therein.
 4. The device ofclaim one providing a main drinking aperture with a separate pull taballowing the drink to be shaken and then opened once proper mixing hastaken place.
 5. An in-situ disposable canned mix drink beveragecontainer apparatus comprised of a vessel subdivided by an internal wallwith a plurality of removable slots connected to a pull tab and anothermain chamber pull tab.
 6. The in-situ disposable canned mix drinkbeverage container of claim 1 providing a line connecting said removableslots on said dividing member to said pull tab facilitating opening ofsaid slots and mixing of contents when pulled by a user.
 7. The in-situdisposable canned mix drink beverage container of claim 1 providing amultitude of slot shapes in said internal wall to prevent clumping ofpowders during mixing.